


Conflicting Sympathies

by Bec (Rimbaum), TheAmuzing



Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Emotional Manipulation, Gen, Problematic fruitloop seeks half-ghost son, Trans Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-23
Updated: 2016-09-02
Packaged: 2018-04-16 21:25:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4640736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rimbaum/pseuds/Bec, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAmuzing/pseuds/TheAmuzing
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After twenty years plotting his revenge, Vlad Masters discovers an unexpected complication. Meanwhile, meeting his parents' former college friend turns out nothing like Danny Fenton expected. While Vlad offers sympathy to worm his way into Danny's life, he also attempts to foster distrust and resentment in the hopes of bringing the fellow half-ghost into his family.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: News Feed

Vlad Masters sat at his computer, looking through the previous day's news feed and drinking some coffee, when one of the articles gave him pause. He set down his mug with a shaking hand. "Twenty years, and they still haven't learned..." he muttered to himself, willing his hands to stop trembling as he looked over the article again.

**"Explosion puts 14 year old boy in hospital"**  read the headline. But it was the sentence below that threatened to make Vlad ill — _"14 year old Danny Fenton was rushed to the hospital today after an explosion in his parents' lab subjected him to an unknown form of radiation."_

"Their own _son_..." Vlad rubbed his hands over his face, trying to bring the color back to it. The article said the doctors expected a full recovery, but they had said the same thing about him twenty years ago. He needed access to the boy's records, to examine them for himself. If there were really any traces of ecto-energy in Danny's system, then the Fentons had a ghost portal of their own. They could be dangerous.

Vlad arranged his schedule to allow for an overview of his investment in Axion Labs, giving himself the necessary excuse to justify the trip to Amity Park. It would be trying, being this near his former college friends and not acting out his grievances, but patience was among the many things he could afford, especially in light of this unforeseen hitch.

Actually attaining the records was child’s play. Once he confirmed what he needed to know, Vlad took the effort to send in an anonymous bouquet. If history decided to repeat itself too faithfully, the poor boy deserved at least that much. If there was any resentment towards his parents down the line, Vlad could even turn the little bit of sympathy to his advantage, but he genuinely didn’t wish that fate on anyone.

As it turned out, the Fenton boy was discharged before the end of the week, and with little tangible hangover from the incident. Vlad tempered his brief flare of jealousy with difficulty, finding it in poor taste to wish temporary but painful disfigurement and isolation on a child who had to return to the scene of what was surely a traumatic experience just because it happened to be ‘home.’ The billionaire dedicated some of his resources—ghostly and otherwise—toward monitoring Amity Park to see how the situation would develop. Besides, with Jack and Maddie managing to engineer another functioning portal, there was bound to be some interesting traffic well worth keeping an eye on.

It took about a month for the surveillance to pay off. The human spin on the uptick of eerie activity was, naturally, watered down—clashing high school protests gone awry, vandalism at a local mall, the discovery that the second last specimen of a rare species of gorilla had been mis-sexed—but along the ghostly grapevine talk of a white-haired green-eyed wannabe teen hero was spreading like wildfire. Few knew where the child came from, or why he was so dead-set on throwing ghosts back into the Zone, but Plasmius nursed a few guesses.

It didn’t hurt that a certain young man and his friends had been explicitly involved with two of the reported incidents.

Vlad already had plans for the upcoming reunion, but with a little minor tweaking, they were easy enough to add a few conditions that would either confirm or disprove certain suspicions he had concerning one Danny Fenton.


	2. Chapter 1: First Reunions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny meets Vlad Masters for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Small rehash of part of Bitter Reunions, but with some important differences scattered in.

This entire road-trip was bogus. And Danny didn’t even feel self-conscious about the word-choice. It fit the theme of ‘early nineties throwbacks.’

It wasn’t entirely his fault he kept missing his 10 o’clock curfew. Ghosts didn’t exactly run on school-friendly schedules. But since he was neither willing nor able to explain to his parents that he had a good reason for staying out late (and putting off his trips to nightmare land), Danny was going to have to deal with being grounded for a straight week from games, phone, and free-time on the computer until he could ‘learn to get home in a timely manner.’

They didn’t go as far as to ban him from seeing Sam and Tucker, but the inability to hang out anywhere but his house was going to seriously cut on the ghost-hunting. He was feeling cagey already. Being stuck in the Fenton RV with just his family to go to some college reunion for a few days was just icing. All he could do was either listen to the same old songs on his MP3 player on repeat, talk to Jazz, or risk hearing his parents blather on about their ghost obsession.

He'd stick with the boring music—sometimes the things his Dad talked about made him feel queasy, and Jazz was a headache waiting to happen. About the only thing that varied up the trip from being complete snoozeville was Dad clarifying that the old college friend was ‘ _the_  Vlad Masters.’ Danny didn’t know what the big deal about that was until Jazz said something about him being Affluence Magazine’s Billionaire of the Year. Danny didn’t even know there were enough billionaires to run a contest.

At that point his Dad started monologuing about the good old days, so Danny spared himself the torture and discreetly slipped his headphones in, tucking the blanket over his head. A night’s worth of potential ear-damage wasn’t going to kill him, but boredom very well might.

By late tomorrow afternoon, they were finally pulling up on… who builds a castle in Wisconsin? Danny shook his head as everyone began filing out, putting on his best ‘house guest’ face to make sure he didn’t sink himself further with the folks on account of a bad first impression, especially since Vlad was already at the door to greet and show them in.

As for Danny’s first impression of Mr. ‘Billionaire of the Year,’ Vlad got a lot less intimidating once it was clear just how much of an unrepentant cheesehead he was. The obvious care and attention the man put into his collection made him a bit less suit and slightly more human. Danny took a good look around at all the green and gold before he heard Jazz’s criticism, and he had to laugh a little about having more trivia than she did for once.

Apparently, he still needed to work on the tact, though. Danny smoothed his hair back out once Vlad stopped ruffling it, catching sight of an interesting item. "Whoa, cool! Is this signed?" Danny asked, walking over and looking curiously at the mounted football.

Vlad smiled, pleased, and walked over to pick up the mentioned collectible. "Good eye. It _is_  autographed, by none other than the legendary Ray Nitschke himself. It's my most prized possession."

Danny watched as the billionaire twirled the football a couple of times, thinking that maybe this wouldn't be such a bad visit.

“Head’s up, V-Man!” The billionaire never saw him coming, and Danny winced as Jack bowled him over, putting a hand to his face in embarrassment. Jack, meanwhile, looked delighted with himself, holding up the football triumphantly. “Ha! See you still got the old moves.”

That did not look like the face of a happy man, not that Danny really blamed him. The sheer livid energy of Vlad’s stand up and snatch back caught the Fentons off-guard, though, as well as the incensed look in his eyes once he turned back from replacing the football.

“I never had any old moves—all those years at the hospital robbed me of that!”

Danny jumped, startled at the ferocity of Vlad's outburst. What was going on? Weren't Vlad and his parents old friends? He looked between the adults nervously, particularly at his parents’ stricken faces, before Vlad seemed to regather his composure.

“Yes, well. It gave me time to chart out a course for my life, didn’t it?” Vlad straightened his jacket, calm again and faintly smiling. “Leading to some decisions that made me very wealthy, very quickly, and it never would have happened without you two, Jack and Maddie.”

Something about that emphasis still struck Danny as off, and he was even more confused about the details he was missing here. He glanced at Jazz, wondering if she was similarly lost, but she looked more troubled than bewildered. Danny frowned, tuning back in again as his Mom suggested leaving.

Surprisingly, Vlad seemed insistent on everyone staying for a chance to reconnect, even playing on Jack’s interest in ghosts with rumors of the late Dairy King still roaming the halls. His Dad couldn’t grab the baggage fast enough. Once everyone had been shown to their rooms, given a tour, and informed what time dinner would be, Danny couldn’t help but linger around after Jazz left for the study and his parents went looking for ghosts, still bugged by the unanswered questions.

"Excuse me, Mr. Masters? Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Of course, son. What can I do for you?" Vlad kept his hands clasped behind his back as he turned to Danny, sounding faintly surprised. He seemed a lot more pleasant than he had not too much earlier, especially with his shoulders relaxed.

"Um, what was that about? The whole... hospital thing. What happened?" It didn't occur to Danny until after he'd asked that it might be an insensitive and very personal question if it had made Vlad so upset. He rubbed the back of his neck, self-conscious. “Erm, if you’re okay talking about it.”

For a moment, Vlad looked nonplussed, before frowning. “They never told you?”

Danny shuffled, starting to regret his own nosiness, but looking at the man he didn’t seem angry, more carefully neutral. “If it came up I might not have been listening,” he admitted. “Dad kind of rambles.”

That got a dry smile out of Vlad, who placed a gentle hand on Danny's shoulder. "He may not have wanted to talk about it, either. You see, when we were in college, your parents and I were the best of friends. We had been doing research and were building a prototype portal to the ghost realm, or the Ghost Zone, as your father liked to call it. There was... an unfortunate accident involving some miscalculations, and when it exploded I was caught in the blast."

Danny’s eyes widened, shoulders tensing in a sympathetic wince. “Yikes.” He tried to keep from looking Vlad over for radiation scars, or some other grisly tell, but didn’t entirely succeed. There seemed to be some acne scarring, but if there was anything else it must have been under the suit. “And that put you in the hospital? For years?”

"Yes, well, it turned out that ecto-acne was harder to cure than the doctors anticipated. Three years of hospital stay did give me a chance to plan for my future, at least." The words sounded bitter, but not hostile.

“Man. And I thought a week had been rough,” Danny murmured. Then, realizing Vlad might not know what he was talking about, Danny looked up again, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “I had an accident a few months back—kind of similar, even involved a ghost portal. I got to keep my complexion, but trade-off of full-body exposure.” And ghostly mutation. Danny’s mouth twisted a little in sudden realization, and he tried not to cringe. “Sorry, didn’t mean to make that about me, just. I kind of get it?”

One of these days he needed to learn how to control his social awkward. But at least Vlad didn’t seem too offended, his face softening. "My dear boy, that must have been excruciatingly painful. My sympathies. If you're comfortable talking about it, how did it happen?"

Danny snorted, looking aside and shrugging. “It was really stupid; I was showing off the portal to a couple of friends of mine, and one of them thought that it would make a great photo-op if I stood inside. It wasn’t active, so I thought it would be okay, but I hit the power button on accident.” His fingers twitched, and Danny blinked at the memory of the light in his eyes, a tiny eternity of energy flashing through him. The boy shook his head, adopting a wry grin. “But hey—at least I was wearing a jumpsuit at the time. Safety first, right?”

Vlad's expression didn't change—if anything, it grew more concerned. "The power button was on the _inside_? That's highly irresponsible of your parents. But the important thing is that you survived, isn't it?" He finally moved his hand off Danny's shoulder, and it wasn't until that moment that the boy realized how warm and almost comforting it had been.

"Heh, yeah. I survived all right." Danny rubbed the back of his neck again and looked down. If becoming a half-ghost could really be called 'surviving', then yeah he'd made it out okay. That was an uncomfortable point to quibble on—time to change the subject. “So, dinner at seven-thirty, right?"

“That’s right,” Vlad smiled, taking the lead out into the hall. “I hope you’re a fan of fondue.”

Danny snorted, looking upward as he followed. “And this is how I know I’m in Wisconsin.”

 

* * *

 

Dinner was mostly uneventful, and as a pleasant surprise, only marginally awkward. Some of the tension between Vlad, Jack, and Maddie had eased somewhat, but something in Vlad's demeanor still seemed off. It left Danny wondering if he still hadn't gotten the whole story just yet—after all, it was just an accident, and they'd been best friends, right? It wasn't like Danny blamed Sam for his accident. That'd be kind of stupid.

At least dinner went by quickly, so Danny didn't have to worry about analyzing the scene for underlying hostilities any longer than he had to. Since it had been a long and exhausting day, it was a relief to get out of his binder, into some comfy pajamas, and lay on a nice soft bed. It was pleasant enough that he fell asleep pretty fast.

And then woke up again with a shiver of cold breath when he felt his ghost sense go off. "Oh come on, really? A working vacation?"

Danny rose up, changing to ghost form without the usual battle-cry since, big castle aside, people were probably sleeping. He phased out of the room, eyes alert for the wandering spirit, when a flash of green caught his peripheral. Danny dodged out of the way, mostly on reflex, just in time to avoid being hit by a speeding... vulture?

“About time, now either move it or lose it!” The fez-wearing buzzard griped, pecking at Danny.

“Ow, hey!” Danny flapped at the bird, blustering before it took off down the hallway. Phantom scowled, green eyes blazing as he gave chase. “You get back here!” The vulture led him deeper into the castle, phasing through the walls, but Danny flew faster. He was nearly catching up on it when another slammed into him from the side.

“Oi, not that way! Would it kill you again to keep on route?” The new vulture complained before Danny swiped at it. The ghostbird went intangible, giving an indignant squawk before taking off past Danny, the irritated ghost boy quick on its trail. However, it wasn’t too much longer after that when yet _another_  vulture clipped him, spinning him through the wall.

“Now what did you go and do that for?” The first vulture snapped, flapping up to its newest companion and thwacking them upside the head, knocking the dark sunglasses askew. “You know we’re on a tight schedule!”

“Then why are we relying on your lousy sense of direction?” The second vulture groused, earning a sour look before Danny phased back into the hall.

“Oh great, there’s _three_ of you. Just what I need.”

The third vulture finally seemed to recover from the hit, clacking its beak at Danny before turning to its brethren. “Quit your kvetching and get on with it, or it’s curtains from you know who!”

The entire group flew around Danny, spinning him around again before darting down the hallway, making an abrupt left turn through a wall. Phantom shook off the dizzy spell, glaring after the birds. "Man, it is way too late to be going on a wild goose chase. They're not even real geese!"

Still, Danny was determined to get to the bottom of this and get back to bed, so he followed the three feathered stooges through yet another series of halls before reaching a big room full of books. Here, the vultures took a look at each other and nodded before scattering in three different directions, taking advantage of Danny’s split-second confusion to disappear.

Phantom let out a frustrated yell, tossing up his hands. “And what was the freaking point of that!”

"Why, to bring you to me, of course," said a smooth voice from behind Danny.

Phantom turned sharply, already shifting to a fighting stance. "Who are you, and what are you doing here?" His eyes glowed with wary hostility, assessing his opponent.

The new ghost raised an eyebrow, but didn't seem to make any move to attack. Instead, he clasped his hands behind his back. "I would ask you the same things, but I already know the answers. Phantom, was it? So nice to _finally_  meet you.” Red eyes flashed, mimicking Phantom’s glow as the ghost gave a toothy smile. With actual fangs. “You can call me Plasmius."


	3. Chapter 2: Two of a Kind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vlad and Danny make a big reveal to each other, and have a discussion about their shared status as half-ghosts.

Vlad watched as Danny Phantom readied himself for a fight. He imagined that Danny was so used to ghosts being hostile that it was impossible to think that some may not want to fight, but he would have to learn eventually that some could be allies. And Vlad would be nothing if not a very powerful ally for any ghost, let alone a boy as young as Phantom.

"All right, _Plasmius,_ that still doesn't say anything about what you're doing here or what's with the ridiculous vampire getup, so either start talking or get ready to fight."

Oh the poor, naive boy. "You know, not every ghost is looking for a fight. Personally, I'm curious about _you._ Whatever could bring you all the way from Amity Park out to Wisconsin? Risking being found out by the Fentons, who also came to this very building? It doesn't make any sense."

Of course, Vlad already knew the truth—he had seen Danny's transformation into Phantom firsthand, when his vultures were already in place to distract him; being invisible had its perks every now and then. Most importantly, Vlad's suspicions had been confirmed: Danny Fenton's accident had resulted in the same kind of transformation that he had undergone twenty years earlier. Danny "Phantom" Fenton and Vlad "Plasmius" Masters were two of a kind. The only thing to do was to wait for an opportune moment to reveal himself.

At the mention of Danny's mysterious appearance in Wisconsin, so far from Amity Park, Vlad could see the boy flinch and avert his eyes. "That's none of your business."

"I'd say it is my business, seeing as you're the intruder in my home." The truth was smooth and as easy to say as any lie he could have made up, and the slow confusion that crept up beneath Danny's bravado was almost satisfying.

"You're the intruder here, this place belongs to Vlad Masters!" It was a desperate attempt to recover his sense of self-righteousness. But again, he was a poor, naive boy.

Vlad smiled, holding out his hands as black rings of energy radiated from his center, transforming him from Plasmius to plain old Vlad Masters—still floating in the air. "As I said, it is my business, since you are in _my_ home."

For a few brief moments, Danny went wide-eyed and slack-jawed at the sight of Vlad revealing himself so casually. But his expression hardened, and he floated back a few feet. "How much do you know?" His voice was wary and soft, barely audible with the way the library muffled sounds.

"My dear boy, a young man in an accident with a ghost portal, and a month later news starts spreading in the Ghost Zone about a new ghost mysteriously appearing out of nowhere, 'protecting' humanity and throwing every ghost he can back inside through the same artificial portal that caused the accident?" Vlad's smile softened from mildly arrogant and smug to something a bit more sympathetic. Some of it was even genuine. "We're exactly the same, Daniel. You don't have to hide your secret from me."

It took nearly a full minute before Phantom landed on the floor, and Vlad allowed himself to follow suit. Another several moments later, and Danny went human again, slouching his shoulders and seeming to shrink in on himself. "You won't tell my parents?" His voice cracked to a higher pitch, and Vlad could see the young, frightened boy that Danny was hiding behind a mask of confidence.

The fact that this young man was scared of his parents was enough to solidify the plan he had only vaguely put together. What better revenge on Jack and Maddie than to steal their son's trust and affection? Vlad smiled, shaking his head in an attempt to be reassuring. "Of course not, Daniel. This is strictly between us. Would you like to talk about it? We can go to the kitchen and have a small snack."

Danny seemed to consider it, then hesitated, shoulders ducking. "But... what about those vultures?"

Vlad waved away the attempt to stall. "Hired hands. They're informants far more than anything else, though they do have their occasional uses for grunt work." But Danny was still fidgeting and wouldn't quite look Vlad in the eyes.

"I... maybe. I don't know. This is... This is kind of a lot to think about, Mr. Masters." Danny rubbed at his neck, seeming to slouch even more as he did so. There was something about the dodging glances that made Vlad think that there was something more to it, though.

After a moment's deliberation, Vlad smiled and gestured to the door to the hallway. "Why don't you get a few more hours of rest, first. I'll send someone to wake you up early so we can have a nice, private chat before breakfast."

The offer eased some of the tension in Danny's shoulders, and the boy gave a tiny shadow of a smile. "Thanks. I think I'd like that better." Whatever had been bothering him, the chance to get some extra rest was enough to talk him into compliance.

* * *

In the morning, Vlad decided to drop by and knock on the door himself, since Danny was still getting used to the idea of non-hostile ghosts—there was little need to put him on the defensive and aggravate the usual help. It took a bit for Vlad to get an actual response, since the boy was apparently taking the word 'vacation' seriously, but eventually Danny emerged, fully dressed with obvious bedhead.

"Sorry, it took me a second to find a good shirt. I'm kind of a mess when it comes to packing," Danny explained, trying to comb his hair into some kind of order with his fingers. Admittedly, Vlad was slightly confused that Danny decided half of a morning routine was necessary before the rest of the living household was stirring, but he decided to put that question to rest. There were far more pressing matters to discuss.

"That's quite alright, Daniel—I should think you're suitably dressed for my kitchen." Vlad pressed a hand behind Danny's shoulders, urging him on gently as they walked down the hall. "A light snack before breakfast will hardly do you any harm, particularly if you share my metabolism."

Danny raised his eyebrows, curious. "You think that's a part of-? I mean, I just put it to growth spurts." He seemed to be avoiding talking directly about their shared condition, a sentiment Vlad may have understood, but would have to eventually break down if he wanted to build an understanding from that front.

"Yes, well, I'm afraid I've never lost my college appetite, though given how much energy either one of us is sure to burn off on a given day, I hardly find it surprising. Luckily, I have the grace of a skilled kitchen staff, as well as one notable aficionado for all things dairy haunting this very castle." Vlad smiled at Danny's surprise, chuckling. "Did you think I had been lying to your father?"

"I thought you might've been stretching things to get him to stay, but, there's seriously a Dairy King ghost?"

"There's seriously a Dairy King ghost. He's rather friendly, actually, and I personally adore his danishes."

Danny was quiet for a bit, before glancing at Vlad. "Would you say they're 'to die for?'"

Vlad pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to stifle a groan. "That was terrible. Warn me next time you decide to say something like that." Good heavens, that was going to be a problem if punning was a regular occurrance. Danny grinned, but mercifully refrained from further bad puns en route to the kitchen.

When they arrived, Danny seemed to shudder, going tense even as Vlad felt a rush of heat across his core. Interesting. "Ah, that would likely be him," Vlad remarked, both to confirm to Danny that he had a sense of his own and as a gentle reminder that violence would not be necessary. Both facts seemed to register as Danny forced himself to relax, even though he kept unconsciously shifting.

Honestly, the thought of anyone registering the Dairy King as a threat was ridiculous. What exactly would he do? Turn their clothes to cheddar? Make it snow parmesan? Regardless, the King in the kitchen didn't seem likely to make good on such silly threats—he was far too busy creating his preferably cheesy confections. He looked up as the two half-ghosts entered, giving a jovial tilt of his scepter.

"Oh Vlad! There you are. Oh, and with the Fenton boy. I made some cheese danishes for you." The Dairy King levitated a platter full of cheese and jam danishes towards Vlad and Danny. "Take as many as you like, Danny. You're a growing boy, don'cha know."

Vlad smiled and delicately took two of the pastries for himself, motioning for the younger half-ghost to partake as well. Danny hesitated for several seconds, then took just one. "Thank you, Dairy King. I would recommend staying low until after the party tonight." The ghost nodded and set the platter down on the table for the rest of the guests to take as they wanted.

"Thanks," Danny added, still looking uncertain. He began nibbling at his danish as they left for Vlad's study, humming after a bite. "Wow, they are pretty good. But, um, how did he know my name?"

Ah yes, that would have to come up. Vlad supposed it was an inevitability. "The Dairy King and I are on friendly terms, and I may have spoken with him about you after you left for bed again. I've also been keeping an eye out for news of functioning ghost portals ever since my own accident. Your parents are the natural ones to keep an eye on, of course, and when your accident was mentioned… Well, I couldn't know for sure whether history had repeated itself, but I had my guesses."

Despite Vlad's intention to not put the boy on guard, Danny still looked taken aback. "So, even before last night, you already had an idea? For months?"

"Only an idea, and not a single shred of concrete proof. Or the ability to conveniently confirm one way or another from Wisconsin, for that matter." Technically true, not that Danny needed to know that Vlad actually had come to investigate the matter personally. As it was, the boy seemed to accept the explanation easily enough, giving Vlad the opportunity to lead the conversation to his benefit: "But now that I do know for sure, I'm very interested in what you've experienced since, particularly in developing your powers. I can't imagine you've had very many knowledgeable people to talk to regarding those."

By this point, the two had reached Vlad's study. Danny finished off the rest of his danish, looking up at Vlad with wide eyes as he was led inside. "I've kind of been learning as I go along. I only just barely managed to get control of intangibility and invisibility pretty recently, and even then I still screw up sometimes. Especially if I'm nervous." The younger half-ghost rubbed at the back of his neck, slouching a little as he looked away. "But, um. I've also learned how to possess people and do like, an energy ray type of thing."

Vlad raised his eyebrows, mildly impressed. The energy blasts he had expected, but overshadowing hadn't happened until late in his first year of being part-ghost. "Ectoplasmic energy blasts, and overshadowing. The first isn't surprising at all, it's an easy enough skill to learn. But I must say, my boy, I am impressed you learned overshadowing so soon." He walked over to his desk, motioning to the seat across from his. "Please Daniel, have a seat."

Danny's face turned red, and he gave a small, sheepish grin as he sat down. "Really? I mean it kind of happened by accident, and it wasn't too hard to pick up after I knew I could do it..." He waited a few beats before looking up at Vlad again. "What can _you_ do?"

Vlad smiled, pleased to have Danny's rapt attention. "Daniel, I think the proper question is, what _can't_ I do?"


	4. Chapter 3: Ballroom Blitz

After the very… informative chat with Vlad, Danny went through most of the day with a lot to mull over. There was so much that Vlad — and by extension, possibly Danny — could do. Shields? Energy constructs? Energy _bombs_? Duplication? And Vlad said that was just scratching the surface, not even getting into core powers. Whatever _those_ were.

It was almost scary to think about, all the things he could learn. Despite that, Danny got a lot of comfort from knowing that there _was_ a future, and that he wasn't necessarily alone with it. The uncertainty had haunted him, some nights, not knowing how much being a half-ghost meant being that much closer to dead; whether or not Danny would even have the chance to grow up. But now he had some answers, and a timeframe. Now there was someone else who knew the potentials, the pitfalls, and was willing to give him a heads up on both. It was more than Danny had _ever_ expected to get, let alone out of this particular trip.

When it was nearing time for the party, Danny chose to check in on Jazz once he finished dressing. She said she would rather watch the Packers' best games than deal with the embarrassment of their parents in a social setting. Danny didn't exactly blame her, but he also wanted to try and get a bit more information on his parents' and Vlad's relationship back in college, not to mention what happened to make them drop out of each other's lives after the accident. Jazz didn't seem interested at all, leaving Danny to wonder exactly _how much_ he had missed tuning out his Dad's monologuing. 

Either that, or Jazz was too afraid of being awkward to be nosy — and the day that happened would be the day Danny willingly wore the frilliest, girliest dress in the world to school.

Most of the adults at the reunion were nice enough, but it was a woman named Harriet that had been the most helpful. While she wasn't that close to the trio on account of personally finding his Dad annoying, the journalist had always kept a bead on the school gossip, as she was quick to brag about.

Apparently, Vlad and his parents had been nigh-inseparable in their undergrad years, all three of them sharing a passion for ghosts… and were seen as the campus weirdos as a result. Not much had changed, Danny figured, except that two of the people his parents cared about the most — or _used_ to care about, in Vlad's case — were now half-ghost and sitting right under their noses. 

Sometimes, Danny was glad his parents could be really oblivious.

Still, while it was interesting to learn some secondhand college age trivia, Harriet didn't seem to be able to explain much about the aftermath, leaving Danny to stew over his soda. He would've gone for the punch, but given that there was already one guy bouncing around with a literal lampshade on his head, Danny opted not to take his chances. He could see his parents pogoing out of the corner of his eye, and grimaced, resting his face in one hand and beginning to wonder if maybe Jazz hadn't had the right idea, after all.

"Daniel. Are you doing all right over here?" On hearing Vlad speaking to him, Danny straightened up, looking abashed.

"Oh, sorry, Mr. Masters, I just…" Danny spun his hand, trying to think of words that weren't 'I'm bored out of my mind and frustrated my nosiness didn't pay off.'

"You're embarrassed and bored to tears, aren't you? Don't worry, Daniel, I understand. You're young and this isn't the kind of nostalgia party you would be interested in."

Danny rubbed the back of his neck, looking aside. "Well, the music isn't _completely_ terrible."

"Yes, the 80s was a good decade for music, wasn't it? But that shouldn't be the sole reason for you to stick around. Why don't you go up to my study for a breather? There might be some notes I've made on our… shared condition up there that I haven't already gone over with you." Vlad smiled and rested a hand on Danny's shoulder.

It wasn't the information that Danny was looking for, but it still got his attention, and his half-grin broadened. "Wow, there's more?" he joked, before looking around again. Oh no they were about to start moonwalking: time to crush cup and bail. "I'm going to take that up, thanks."

"You're welcome, son."

Danny blinked, looking awkward. "Er, it's just Danny. Daniel's okay, but my Dad's the only one who calls me 'son,' you know?"

Vlad paused, and then smiled lightly, lifting his hand off Danny's shoulder. "My apologies, Daniel. I quite understand."

Danny's mouth quirked gratefully before he got out of his chair and made his escape, weaving through the middle-aged clusters and careful to mind his 'excuse mes' in the process. He didn't see Vlad's smile darken as the older man turned back towards the party.

Yet, even once Danny got to the study and started going over the notes Vlad was talking about, he couldn't stop wondering about the backstory gaps. It didn't help that apparently Vlad liked writing in cipher — speedy decoding was a bit out of Danny's reach, even with the helpful key that had been left for him. 

When he caught himself glazing over the same starting paragraph three times without actually taking anything in, it belatedly occurred to Danny that the simple solution would be to ask Vlad himself. Or at least his parents, depending on how much fun the latter were having. So after tucking the notes back where he got them, Danny loosened his tie a little and started wandering back to the party, thinking up ice-breakers on the way.

Call him crazy, but screaming wasn't usually a sign of a hopping good time. Danny's eyes widened, and he checked his breath. No chill? Shaking his head, he booked it anyway, face set. Around the time Danny got there some party-goers were already rushing out the door.

"Hey, hey! What's going o-" No one seemed willing to take a second, too focused on the exit, and after the first few accidental batterings Danny sighed, going to the side and trying to shuffle against the current. "Go figure, I don't even need powers to be invisible."

Once he was able to actually get a good look into the ballroom, Danny was shocked to see his parents in full-on battle-mode, goggles down and guns akimbo. He frowned, checking his breath again and scanning the crowd. Still no ghosts. What was going on here?

And where was Vlad?

* * *

Of all things, Vlad hadn't really expected Danny to arrive to the reunion. He was only fourteen, what could he possibly have wanted at the reunion? But he was making his rounds, chatting people up. Perhaps he was just curious about his parents' college days, unclouded by a hostile worldview.

It was somewhat frustrating, because he'd been counting on Danny being too embarrassed of his parents to arrive at the reunion itself. Certainly, Jazz had opted for watching the Packers classic games over being near the ridiculous grouping of people. So why was Daniel sticking around even after he had finished chatting up Harriet, letting himself get bored with nothing to do?

It was putting off his plan, dammit.

After it was clear that Danny wasn't going to leave despite his boredom, Vlad approached him and tried to be cordial. It didn't take much convincing to get the boy to go upstairs to Vlad's study and read, and as soon as he was out of visual and audio range, it was time to put his plan into motion.

Vlad had duplicated himself earlier, waiting for just the right moment to overshadow Jack. It was enough to start a commotion, but things really got interesting when Jack threw off Vlad's double, started shouting about ghosts and pulling his weapons out.

Like any show of weapons would, it caused the rest of the party guests to scatter. Vlad made a good enough show of trying to stop any mindless destruction or people getting injured to be believable, but then the unthinkable happened: Phantom appeared.

"So much for being fashionably late — you guys just start the party without me!" The ghost boy circled the Fentons, flashing harmless green light and clearly trying to draw their fire from innocent bystanders. Maddie and Jack gaped at what was likely their first live ghost-sighting, before locking down and giving chase.

No no no no no! This was the exact opposite of what Vlad had wanted! He went invisible, hoping he could overshadow Jack just long enough to make sure his double had time to get Danny out of the ballroom. Not only would the boy completely ruin his plan, but Jack and Maddie might shoot his student. Er. Their son.

"Get the ghost kid!" Jack aimed his weapon — likely a technological equivalent of Vlad and Phantom's ecto-blasts — straight for Danny. While Vlad doubted that Jack was a very good shot, he couldn't risk Phantom getting hurt. He jumped into Jack's body, attempting to wrest control and take over again. It didn't work the way he'd hoped, but it did draw Jack's attention away from shooting at Danny.

Vlad was able to take physical control of Jack's body, but the man's mind and mouth were still subject to free will. "Maddie! That ghost kid must be taking control of my body somehow, I can't aim. You'll have to take the shot!"

Shit. Fortunately, his double had managed his way out of the commotion to grab hold of Danny and start to drag him up higher. "You have to get out of here, Phantom. Follow me."

"What? Plasmius? But…" The look on Danny's face started out confused, then turned angry as realization hit him. " _You're_ the one who set this up!"

Phantom was resisting his pull. "Jack, there's two of them!" Maddie's voice called out, and Vlad knew that if he could go as pale as his double from within Jack's body, he would be right now.

Maddie was lining up her sights and Danny refused to move, pulling his arm away from Plasmius. "Why did you do this? Were you attacking my _parents_?" Danny hissed, snarling at Vlad in outrage.

"There's no time, Daniel, we need —"

Jack's voice cut through the conversation. "Shoot, Maddie! Get them both!" 

Maddie took the shot, and Vlad watched in horror as Danny got caught in the leg while his duplicate took the same hit to his side. The echoed pain as he took the damage too was enough to eject Vlad from Jack's body.

That had not gone at all as planned.


	5. Chapter 4: Armistice

Danny cried out as the blast clipped his leg, faltering in mid-air as his head went white. It was just enough of a distraction for Plasmius' duplicate to grab Phantom and tug him closer, both of them vanishing with a swirl of his cape.

As for Vlad himself, he managed to hold on to invisibility as he struggled to get his bearings, tuning in just in time to hear Jack's exclamation.

"You got 'em!"

"I wasn't going to let any ghost get away with holding my hubby hostage," Maddie boasted, and the affection made Vlad's stomach turn. Then it flipped the other way as she shifted gears, expression hardening. "Now let's bag those spectres before they can hurt anyone else."

The sheer hypocrisy had Vlad seeing red for a moment. Enough was enough. He slipped behind some nearby debris, discreetly shifting back to visibility. The disarray added to his not entirely feigned fury when he stepped back out again, calling at the Fentons before they could run off:

" _Jack and Madeline Fenton, stop what you're doing right this instant!_ "

The nearly instantaneous halt would almost be gratifying if he wasn't so indignant. Maddie and Jack both turned to face Vlad, blasters aimed toward the ceiling. "Vladdie! Why're you breaking cover? It's not safe." Jack said, mouth drawing beneath the goggles.

"The only reason it isn't safe is because there's a pair of lunatics running around waving guns!" Vlad stomped up to both of them, face turning red in legitimate rage. "Look at the damage you've done to my property, look at the people still cowering in the corners that couldn't make it out before _you started using weapons inside my house!_ Look at your own behavior for once in your lives and stop to think of how much you hurt the people around you!"

The bitterness in his words managed to seep through his sheer anger. It felt good to get some of this out, especially where there were witnesses involved. Jack and Maddie looked around, as though not quite believing what Vlad had said. While they did, some of the braver guests were poking their heads back in the ballroom to see what the commotion was about now that guns weren't firing, talking amongst themselves.

And with that, the old rumor mill from college started up again. Harriet Chin, hiding behind the punch bowl, stood up and eagerly took Vlad's side. "This is going to make national news, you know. You can't just show up at a multi-billionaire's house and terrorize his guests without consequences."

Well, at least some of his revenge plot had a chance of turning out as intended, and the visible alarm on the Fentons' faces would've made the little bit of property damage worth it, if it wasn't for the little detail that he was currently tending to their wounded half-ghost son in the safety of his lab.

"There was a _ghost_ possessing my _husband!_ " Maddie protested, though she did look more than a little troubled now that she was aware of the collateral damage. Jack, for his part, actually looked sheepish, lowering the blasters and shuffling his feet.

"No, V-Man's right, Maddie. We shouldn't have gone straight for the blasters. We've got other methods and we should've used those first. Can you forgive us, Vlad?" Jack held out his hand for Vlad to take.

Vlad wanted to object with every fiber of his being, but his thoughts returned to Danny, still being mended up in his lab by his duplicate. If he wanted _any_ chance at seeing the boy again, he had to swallow his pride and make some kind of show. "I have every right not to. I have every right to press charges against you for endangering my life and destruction of my property." He could hear the chatter, the people around him wondering what was going on. He could also see Jack and Maddie shift nervously.

"But fortunately for you, _I_ at least saw that something _was_ going on, and I intend to get to the bottom of it. I would… _encourage_ you to keep me up to date with any findings you have about this matter." There was little doubt left in his voice about said 'encouragement', though — it was a straight-up demand, and he could tell that the Fentons knew it.

When Vlad refused to shake Jack's outstretched hand, the larger man rubbed the back of his neck. "All right, I think we can do that." He looked over at Maddie, whose mouth was set in a small frown at being put under pressure.

Vlad was very intimately familiar with the expression from their college days, and the wave of nostalgia nearly made him retch at wanting to actually… _reconnect_ with them. "Well, Maddie?"

After a moment, Maddie sighed, returning her own weapons to standby. "After causing this much trouble, we can at least take responsibility." She looked around the room again, mouth setting further. "We're sorry, Vlad. Once we find out more about those ghosts, you'll be the first to know."

The irony was nearly more painful than the apology, not that the latter was garnering very much sympathy from either Vlad or the rest of the guests. Harriet wasn't exactly being discreet as she kept ticking notes. Well, it wasn't on Vlad to help the Fentons dodge their own consequences beyond what served his purposes, no matter how merciful he was pretending to be.

"I trust you to hold to that, Maddie. For now, I believe this excitement should conclude the evening." The next half-hour or so was spent soothing ruffled guests and sending them off to their hotels with promise of recompense — a mere drop in the bucket from Vlad's generous funds. The fact that there were amazingly no injuries directly caused by the Fenton's weaponry helped smooth things over.

There was an awkward moment where Maddie and Jack wondered after Danny, inconveniently remembering his presence at the party, but Vlad was able to honestly reassure them that he had sent the little badger off mid-way through the reunion and that he would check in on him personally, leaving them free to return to their rooms and start packing their bags. And true to his word, Vlad went to check in on how his duplicate was holding up.

* * *

Danny wasn't sure if he was dizzy with pain or just plain dizzy when Plasmius finished pulling… whatever the heck that was. Pushing at the duplicate, Phantom tried turn his legs into a tail to see if that would ease the injury at all, but the attempt left him hissing, green ectoplasm dripping to the floor.

Plasmius made an irritated noise, resecuring his hold on the ghost boy before he could pull away. "Stop fighting, and stop trying to shift. You'll only make it worse on yourself."

"This coming from the guy who had this all set up," Phantom muttered, before noticing the magenta glowing wound on Plasmius' side. "That clearly worked out for you."

"You were an unforeseen complication I _tried_ to account for, but then I wasn't exactly expecting you to come back with a suicidal streak." Vlad snapped, before pulling Danny along to a lab table, sitting him down firmly. "What in the world were you thinking?"

"I was thinking there were people in trouble, including my parents! What were _you_ doing?" Danny shoved Plasmius' hands from his shoulders. The outside of his right thigh twinged fiercely, and Phantom had to bite down another noise of pain as his free hand braced back against the table.

"You should change back to human." The duplicate suggested, holding his side and testing his own graze, baring fangs. "It will kickstart the healing process." 

Danny shook his head fiercely. "Not until you tell me what's going on! What were you doing with my parents back there?" He cringed as another stabbing pain shot through the wound on his leg, nearly losing his ghost anyway as the ectoplasm worked itself up and drained. "Third time asking, by the way."

"Then maybe you should stop expecting an answer until you start cooperating!" Plasmius snarled, patience worn thin. "I _promise_ I'll explain everything, but you are my first priority right now, Daniel."

Danny scowled at what felt like another evasion, and he didn't particularly want to be human and vulnerable around someone he wasn't sure he could trust. But, it didn't really feel like he had a choice unless he wanted to bleed out… wherever they were. "Okay, okay, fine. Just." Phantom shut his eyes, willing the rings to pass. The shift from ghost to human sent a rush through his lungs and veins, nerves tingling as his body remembered it was alive again, but his leg still felt pretty painful when Danny tested it.

" _Thank_ you, Daniel. I had never intended for anyone to be harmed during this little fiasco, let alone you, and for that I am sorry." Vlad sighed, shaking his head and looking over Danny's site of injury. "You're still bleeding."

"Didn't notice," Danny grimaced, trying to shift weight off. "And to think I wore the nice slacks for this shindig." That was going to be fun to explain, later.

Vlad rolled his eyes, drifting towards the medical supplies. "Your sarcasm isn't nearly as amusing as you seem to think it is."

"Who says I'm trying to amuse you?" Danny pointed out, watching as Plasmius retrieved a first-aid kit from a mount on the wall. Danny eyed it a little, looking at his pants again with an uncomfortable expression, seeing where this was going. "No chance you're going to let me handle it on my own, is there?"

Vlad scoffed, opening up the kit and pulling out some bandaging, antiseptic, and burn cream. "I need to see it. Depending on how bad it is, it may take you longer than an hour or two to heal up, and you may need to transform to ghost and back another time or two."

"Shouldn't you be handling yourself, first?" Danny said, looking at the duplicate's injury again.

"It'll be painful when I return with my main body, but there shouldn't be more than a faint scar. Something to keep in mind when you start working on duplicates of your own." Plasmius looked up from the kit, levitating the items around himself for easy reach. "I know you're likely to be uncomfortable with it, but I really do need to see and tend to that wound, Daniel."

Danny frowned, but couldn't see any give to Vlad's face. Figuring it would be worse if he made a huge fuss about it, Danny grabbed his slacks by the belt and hemline, phasing the clothes and leaving his boxers behind. Aiming for some front cover, he folded the slacks over the hip of his uninjured thigh. Danny scooted forward to the edge of the table, wincing a little as his blood made brief contact with his ghost's ectoplasm. "How bad's the damage?"

Vlad pulled a chair over, sitting in it so he could lean and examine the injury, dabbing at it with some disinfectant wipes to clean the wound. Danny hissed in pain at each touch, but that was more the chemical sting than actual damage. "Hmm. It looks worse than it is, but with some bandaging it should be mostly healed over by morning. Your parents are likely using ectoplasm to fuel their weaponry; this wound looks almost identical to ectoplasmic energy blasts from a ghost."

Danny frowned a little, not wanting to think too hard about how exactly they were getting that fuel. He kept that to himself though as Plasmius started bandaging him up, his hands uncomfortably warm through the gloves. Thankfully, it was over pretty quickly and Vlad allowed Danny to put his pants back on while he put the medical supplies away.

"So about that promise of yours. Seriously, what's the deal? Why were you attacking my parents?" He was probably closer to shouting than asking, but he didn't really care — this was a big deal, and he wouldn't leave until he got some answers. 

Plasmius sighed, shaking his head. "If you must know, I wasn't attacking them. I overshadowed your father, yes, but that was an attempt to humiliate more than do any physical harm."

"Overshadowed my— why? I thought you and my parents were friends. Everyone at the party said the three of you were inseparable!" Danny's mouth twisted with confusion, and not a little hurt. If Vlad had been lying about that much, what did that say about earlier?

There was a visible change as Plasmius' eyes glowed red. "Yes. We were. And when the accident happened, _neither_ of them came to visit me in the hospital. They never even wrote! They abandoned me after _ruining_ me, Daniel. I was alone in that hospital for years, with emerging powers I had no idea how to control!"

Danny paled as he tried to imagine his stay in the hospital, extended to a length several times longer than the time he'd spent there. The fear of powers he didn't know anything about, the terror of not even knowing if he would survive to adulthood... Vlad never had anyone to comfort him about what was going on, like Danny had gotten from the older man just earlier today. And if Sam and Tucker had just left him alone after his own accident… it was a pretty sobering thought.

It still didn't make any sense to Danny for his parents to just abandon someone they clearly cared about, going by his Dad, but if that was how Vlad saw it, Danny could kind of get why the man would still be mad about it. Danny looked down, giving Vlad some space to calm down before he tried responding. "You couldn't have just… talked it out?"

Plasmius seemed to regain his composure with that particular question, and he shook his head. "Your parents are dangerous, Daniel. If nothing else, what just happened proves that much. How could I possibly explain how much they hurt me without them wanting to _experiment_ on me? Maybe they wouldn't do so without my consent, but they've always been a bit… overenthusiastic."

Danny looked aside, rubbing the back of his neck. It was a bit of a hypocritical question, considering what he was keeping from his parents and why. Still, how Vlad was handling it rubbed Danny the wrong way, even if he sympathized with the reasons. "Okay, so you couldn't talk it out. That still doesn't excuse what happened tonight."

Vlad sighed, resting a hand on Danny's shoulder. "It's too late to change what's already happened, Daniel."

Danny tensed up, anger taking over. "What do you mean, 'what's already happened'? What did you do to my parents?" If Vlad hurt them after teleporting the half-ghosts out, then Danny was going to make him pay for it regardless of the years of experience that Plasmius had over Phantom. Sympathy or no sympathy.

Vlad held up his hands, shaking his head. "As I said, my plan wasn't supposed to involve anyone getting hurt. A bit of public humiliation, I feel, is more than adequate a revenge. And please keep in mind that they were the ones that took their weapons out in a crowded room at the barest hint of paranormal activity — I had nothing to do with that."

Considering what part he had in the 'paranormal hinting', Danny couldn't help but cringe a little, wondering for the first time whether he had actually made the situation worse. Before he could start dwelling too much on that point, though, Vlad Masters entered the lab, drawing Danny's attention.

"I see you've been speaking with my duplicate. One moment, I'll be completely caught up as soon as he returns." As the double disappeared, reabsorbing into Vlad, the older man closed his eyes — presumably to process the information. "Your parents are fine, they and your sister are packing their bags right now. I should let you go pack yours, but I would like to take a moment to ask if we can come to a truce of sorts. I am quite serious about wanting to teach you — you shouldn't have to figure everything out on your own, and regardless of how I feel about your parents, that shouldn't change my opinions on _you_."

Vlad held his hand out, attempting to keep a neutral expression. There was a bit of worry in his eyebrows, along with mild pain from taking on the duplicate's injury. Danny looked between the hand and Vlad's face, before reluctantly taking the man's hand and shaking it. "Okay, but you have to _promise_ not to go after my parents again."

A small smile crossed Vlad's face at the demand, his hand warming a little in Danny's. "I promise. Now, I'm going to need some way to contact you after you've left. Do you have your own phone? Or an email, perhaps?"

After some pause, Danny gave Vlad his email using one of the lab notepads, since he didn't have a phone yet. Once Vlad returned the favor and Danny had the paper stuffed in the pocket of his slightly bloodied slacks (ew), the pair made their way back up to the manor proper. Before the hour was over Danny was packed up in the back of the Fenton RV with an incredulous Jazz, looking out the window as the castle faded from sight.

This was definitely a road trip he wasn't going to be forgetting any time soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY out of the events of Bitter Reunions! From here on out, be prepared to see chapters that have a fair bit of email correspondence, since that's a major short-term part of how their complicated relationship will develop.


	6. Chapter 5: Correspondence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vlad and Danny discuss recent events over email.

After two weeks of waiting, Vlad was nearly ready to send an email to Danny himself, rather than waiting for the boy to start their (hopefully cordial) correspondence. The news from Amity Park had been almost entirely silent, with not even a whisper of rumors from the ghostly grapevine. Honestly, he was beginning to think that Daniel was being entirely insincere when saying he would keep in touch.

The thought made him simmer in rage — had the rapport they'd managed not been enough to weather through? If that were the case, why did Danny agree to exchange contact information? It was just like Jack and Maddie all over again. Maybe he shouldn't have expected anything more from their son, half-ghost or not.

He'd just sat down to write a particularly wordy explanation of how he didn't appreciate being left hanging when his… _talented_ employees came in with a fresh batch of news from the Ghost Zone. Maybe now he'd hear something worthwhile. However, what he heard was not what he was expecting.

Vlad let the information sink in before looking back at what he'd written so far. Thank goodness he was interrupted before he had a chance to send the email. He erased everything on the screen and decided to start fresh. This time, with less passive aggression and more sympathy. Some of it was even genuine.

  


_Daniel,_

_I've just received news that you were captured by Walker and managed to escape. Are you alright? I've had a few… let's call them_ incidents _with Walker in the past, and I know just how kindly he takes to people who break his arbitrary rules._

_I apologize for how short my first correspondence is, but I hope you understand that I would much rather make sure you're safe and well than yammer on about other things. Please do respond soon._

_Yours truly,  
Vlad_

  


With any luck, that would get a timelier and much more well-received response than the bitter message he'd started before.

  


* * *

  


In all the excitement and exhaustion of the past couple of weeks, Danny had completely forgotten about sending a message to Vlad. Sure, at first that had been on purpose — he didn't want to go immediately running to the man who had _humiliated his parents_ just because he happened to be half-ghost. Especially not after having told Sam and Tucker about the trip and seeing them get fired up over the new scar he earned botching up Masters' petty little vengeance scheme.

But after entering the Ghost Zone for the first time, running into Walker, the divorce scare, losing his father's present, being thrown in jail, organizing a prison break to get his parents' anniversary gift back out of the Ghost Zone, and an unexpected visit to Aunt Alicia's? Danny had forgotten all about the scar. And Vlad, for that matter.

Well, he'd forgotten about Vlad until Danny went to check his email and found a message sitting in his inbox. He swallowed, a little nervous about checking it because of his unintentionally broken promise to write soon. But when he read the short email, his shoulders relaxed. 

Vlad was _worried_ about him. After facing the threat of having been trapped in the Ghost Zone for literal decades, it made him feel a little better, knowing that there was an adult — especially one as experienced with ghosts as Vlad — that knew what Danny was up to and showed concern. He might be a bit of a fruitloop, but at least he was willing to ask if Danny was okay.

  


_Hey Vlad,_

_First off, sorry for the massive delay. You can probably guess why I was distracted, but that's not really an excuse so. My bad._

_I don't know what kind of stories you've been hearing (and honestly it's a bit weird to think that something that happened 'locally' could get to you so quickly — how does Earth distance translate in the 'Zone?), but basically what happened is that I got on Walker's bad side after my first accidental trip through the portal, then again when he found me with 'real world contraband' I accidentally dropped in and was trying to take back._

_You'll be happy to know that skullface didn't carry through on his threat to lock me up for the next millennium. I have a couple of friends that got worried and came after me. Apparently humans in the Ghost Zone act like ghosts do in the real world? So that was a surprisingly easy way to break out._

_But yeah: safe and sound,  
Danny_

  


After checking it over for mistakes, Danny hit send, rubbing the back of his neck a little and wondering how Vlad would respond. It wasn't like he went too deep on that whole prison riot thing. To kill time waiting, Danny decided to poke at his homework while messaging Sam and Tucker — if he wanted to have anything done before morning, he'd have to finish it now.

  


* * *

  


Ah yes, Daniel's friends. One of the most significant differences in their situations, and a potentially major complication depending on how Vlad wanted to insinuate himself as a major support in Daniel's life. He would have to figure out a way to learn more about them without tipping his hand. 

Or, he could just ask. Sometimes the simple and direct route opened more opportunity than underhanded scheming, even if Vlad wasn't about to neglect the benefits of the latter approach just yet.

_Daniel,_

_It's good to hear back from you so soon, both for the confirmation and the reassurance. Given our shared condition and your particular choice on how to utilize it, I can appreciate how that may present..._ unique _complications when it comes to timely response._

_You say that was your first trip into the Ghost Zone? I admit I'm curious as to how exactly that happened, but first I must extend my sympathies for the unfortunate encounter with Walker of all ghosts. I'm sure I don't need to get into how inconvenient his rigid authority and bias against humanity is when you've seen it for yourself, but I'm glad you've managed to get the better of him._

_I've never had the occasion to see how regular humans function in the Ghost Zone, but I'm surprised to hear that your friends are so involved in your spectral activity. You haven't told me much about them in particular, but it sounds like they are very close to you. I have to wonder how on Earth you've managed to keep this up without alerting either your or their own parents, though._

_If you have questions or concerns, I'm only an email away._

_Yours truly,  
Vlad_

  


* * *

  


Danny finished reading the email aloud to Sam and Tucker over Skype, sitting back and waiting for their reactions.

"Well, he writes like a businessman," Tucker quipped, looking thoughtful.

"About what you'd expect from Mr. Millionaire of the Year," Sam returned, arms crossed and leaning back in her chair.

"I thought it was Billionaire?"

"Google it."

Danny snorted, shaking his head and perching his chin on his hand. "So debates about how much he has in savings aside, what do you think, guys?"

"I don't trust him," Sam said automatically, which was about what Danny was expecting. "Even if we're leaving out the whole 'holding a grudge on your parents for two decades' thing, plus collateral damage, his wording screams over-formal and fishy. He's trying too hard and hiding a lot of somethings."

"Or maybe the whole 'mentioning the parents' thing is getting to you," Tucker suggested, before turning his more serious address to Danny. "All kidding aside, dude, you've said it yourself that he seemed a few loops short of a whole cereal box, and while I can't put my finger on anything solid yet, you should probably trust your gut instincts. Any idea what's really motivating him to reach out like this?"

Danny frowned, because of course he had an idea of what Vlad's motivation was. "Look, guys, I know it sounds a little fishy from just the letters, but when we met in person I got the feeling that… Jeez, I dunno. He was really lonely. His best friends abandoned him, and from what I'm seeing he still doesn't have any people really close to him. I might not agree with some — okay, most of the things he's done to my parents, but I also understand his reasoning a little. I keep thinking of… what if _you_ guys had left me because of this? I can't trust my parents right now, so who would I have to go to? He didn't have anyone. Now? He has me."

That seemed to soften Sam's expression somewhat, but she still looked concerned, chewing over her lip. "I don't know, Danny. Twenty years is a long time for someone to not have made some kind of connection. I can't help but wonder if there isn't some deeper reason why."

"Not to mention, your parents have no idea, right? So it's not like they stopped talking because Vlad went all spooky on them. It's not really something I can see them doing."

Danny sighed, resting his forehead on top of the keyboard. He could hear Sam and Tucker laughing a little as he sent them a keysmash by accident, which at least lightened his mood a little bit. "I can't see them doing it either. That's what I don't get. Why would they just… not visit one of their closest friends in the hospital? Or even write to him? There's something going on on _their_ end that I'm not getting. And neither is Vlad."

"And you haven't had a chance to ask?" Tucker ventured.

"Kind of awkward to when they're still licking their wounds from that article in the Milwaukee Journal," Sam pointedly reminded him.

Danny grimaced, still sorting out how he felt about that mess. The public backlash was muffled somewhat by the fact that they didn't actually live in Wisconsin, but Harriet's account of the entire reunion debacle didn't put the older Fentons in a stellar light.

It was also affecting the family's business, with grants being reconsidered and workplace practices being put into question. Danny still wasn't entirely sure on the gritty details behind how his parents put food on the table, but he had overheard more than one heated comment about how they were being paid to research ectoplasmic energy, not start a debate on open-carry. It had been one of the big strains contributing to the blow-up over the anniversary. He knew Jazz was worried, and she probably knew more than Danny did.

Not wanting to worry about it anymore, Danny shook his head, sighing out. "If I can figure out a way to bring it up without bungling it, we might get somewhere, but I think mentioning Vlad's going to be a tender spot for a while."

"Okay, fair point. So, what are you gonna do in the meantime?"

Tucker's question was a good one, and it made Danny have to think for a moment. "I'm not sure. But right now? It feels like bedtime. I'm exhausted, and I've got an appointment with that new school counselor before class starts. Jazz has noticed me acting jumpy around Mom and Dad ever since the accident, and she thinks maybe it'll help me out." He rolled his eyes. If only Jazz knew his actual reasons.

"Alright man, get some rest. Save some energy for Spirit Week."

"Shouldn't he have that covered, considering?" Sam joked, and Danny appreciated the laugh it got out of him.

"Alright, I'll do that. See you guys tomorrow." With that, he ended the Skype call and turned off his computer, setting aside his clothes for the morning, before deciding to use his new binder instead of the older one. Maybe it would give him the extra boost of confidence he'd need to talk to the counselor.


	7. Chapter 6: Spirit Counseling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angry and restless, Danny seeks some advice from someone who can help.

So, good points: he got to the counselor's office before school.

Downsides: he totally trashed it fighting off a new and infuriating blob ghost — which got away, joy of joys — transforming back just in time for Jazz and Mr. Lancer to walk in. Talk about a great way to start off the week.

Getting lectured in the frigid office right after his fighting failure managed to completely sour Danny further on the idea of seeing Ms. Spectra, which he wasn't wild about in the first place. Especially since Jazz wasn't getting the hint that, whatever Danny was going through, he didn't want to bring strangers into it. How could he? There was no safe way to talk about the things that really bothered him without it getting back to his parents somehow.

Well. There was one way, but… Danny huffed to himself, rubbing the back of his neck and leaning his head to the wall, nerves frayed. That had been happening a lot, lately, feeling like he was constantly frustrated and just. Needed to take it out on something. Or someone, when there were hostile ghosts around. 

Was this a teenage thing, a ghost thing, or both, like some sort of territorial instinct meets evil puberty? Would it get better and go away, or was this another thing he was going to have to watch out for, like phasing when distracted or vanishing when nervous? When Tucker wished himself into being a half-ghost he deteriorated really quickly into mass-jerkitude, but how much of that was the wish and envy gone bad and how much was just ghostly nature on an accelerated timeframe? How would it affect Danny once he actually got off blockers and on hormones, like he was planning?

Again, he could ask… but it'd have to wait until after this joke of a feel-good session was over and done with. Therapy for detention — anyone else getting the wrong idea from that?

Danny looked up as the door to Ms. Spectra's office opened, tilting his head as Paulina stepped out. He tried not to listen in too closely, and he did miss what Paulina's first statement was, but Ms. Spectra wasn't exactly modulating her voice: "I'm not saying it's fair, sweetie, but if you feel you need something, like, a _lot_ of makeup, I say: go for it! You're the only _you_ you've got!"

That was supposed to be motivational? Really? Danny frowned, but didn't get a lot of time to reflect on that before Ms. Spectra turned an overly-cheery green-eyed grin his way, calling him in with way too much pep. Danny sighed, slouching up out of his chair and giving a subdued Paulina a passing glance. She didn't notice, and then the door closed her off and him in.

… Okay, did he say frigid before? Try arctic. Danny huddled his arms to his sides, incredulously watching his own breath literally mist up before he took an uncomfortably stiff chair across Ms. Spectra. At least his binder kept him a little warmer, for all the good _that_ did him.

"Is there a particular reason you keep it so cold in here that I can feel my teeth trying to S.O.S.?" Not the most respectful way to address somebody, but hey, there had to be some upsides to being the 'moody troubled teen', right?

Ms. Spectra's smile broadened, sharp nails folding over her desk. "I find cold temperatures keep the mind sharp. At this point in the morning, kids usually need all the help they can get to stay awake."

Danny snorted softly, rubbing his arms. "Thoughtful of you." He shifted, trying to sink into a more comfortable position, but that was the thing about school-provided plastic chairs — there was no way to get comfortable in them. 

Ms. Spectra hummed, lips pursing. "I was warned you were antisocial, but I didn't think it would run so deep."

Antisocial? Him? Danny had friends! There was nothing antisocial about him, what was Ms. Spectra talking about? "I'm not antisocial!"

"Well not from a clinical standpoint, no, because that's something else altogether. But with a wit that quick, you have a difficult time relating to new people, don't you? Several teachers have noticed." Danny glanced aside self-consciously before Ms. Spectra fluttered her hand, tutting. "You're a teenager, everyone's defensive at your age. But I've got to ask: how well is that working out for you?"

That earned a cringe. Since his parents had sent him out of his usual school district to go to Casper High, not one person had misgendered him. They were on the border between districts anyways, and Jazz had already chosen Casper, so it wasn't a huge leap for him to make. But the downside was, he didn't know _anyone_ in this school aside from Jazz, Sam, and Tucker. That had made it hard for him to make new friends. And Ms. Spectra was right — his snark had gotten him beaten to a pulp more often than not. Courtesy of Dash, generally.

When it became clear that Ms. Spectra was actually expecting him to answer, Danny shrunk, rubbing the back of his neck and mumbling. "Could be better, probably."

"Well, it's your opinion that matters when it's something like this," Ms. Spectra hummed, leaning her elbows against the desk. "Do you have any idea where all that's coming from?"

Several, which was the problem in Danny's opinion. None of what he was going through right now was comfortable to talk about, especially with the way Normal Teenage Stuff was bleeding into the… not-so-normal. Doubting that he was going to get away with a brush-off, Danny chewed his lip and tried to figure out something safe enough to say. 

"... I guess it's just that I'm used to people making fun of me from the get-go. Because of my parents, and what they do." 

The words were reluctant, but that was a pretty persistent thing that had (ha ha) haunted him and Jazz both pretty much since they were in elementary school. Kids wouldn't care that much if their parents didn't, but everyone older at the time seemed to have something to say about "them crazy Fentons" and that trickled down to the point that Jazz, Tucker, and eventually Sam were his only friends for a long while. Danny didn't think Ms. Spectra would have much to say on that one he hadn't heard already and knew how to respond to.

"That would make anybody a little gun shy, wouldn't it? Especially with what's been going on at home lately." Danny's eyes shot up, and Ms. Spectra nudged a sheet of newsprint from The Milwaukee Journal, smiling mildly. "Your sister helped me do some research, Mr. Fenton. Or should I call you Danny?"

"... Sure," Danny murmured, unsettled and not wanting to make more of a scene about it, but pretty certain he wasn't going to be sharing much of anything with Jazz soon. How _could_ she? Ms. Spectra seemed to notice his look, her mouth tilting sympathetically.

"She really is worried about you, you know."

"Trust me, she hasn't been subtle about it," Danny snapped, flushing once he caught his own tone but not really willing to take it back. "I swear, it's like she thinks I need my hand held through everything, like I can't solve my own problems."

"Problems like?" Danny closed his mouth, folding his arms, and Ms. Spectra sighed softly. "There's nothing wrong with needing help every now and again, Danny. Everyone does, especially growing up."

"... Yeah, but, shouldn't it be my choice when I want help?"

"It should be, someday, once you know a bit better when and how to reach out. I think your sister knows you've still got a lot of growing up to do — more than most teenagers your age."

"Oh she does, does she? I suppose she told you that when she was helping you 'research'?"

"Are you sure she's wrong?" Danny hesitated, fingers clenching, and Ms. Spectra pressed on, "You're a sharp kid, Danny. I can tell. But I've been doing this long enough to recognize when someone's feeling a little in over their head in life. Maybe your sister's been a bit of a worrywart, but you know it's coming from a good place. And while you're here, oh, every study period for the rest of the week, why not make it work for you, right?"

"Great, as if my grades weren't bad enough already." Danny wasn't sure he could hide his resentment if he tried, but at least Ms. Spectra wasn't shutting that down.

"One problem at a time, kiddo," she chirped, mouth quirking. "There'll be plenty of mountain left over."

"That's what I'm afraid of." 

  


* * *

  


By the time Danny finally left Ms. Spectra's office, he was somewhere between drained and agitated, feeling both like he wanted to crawl under a dark desk and never get up again and like there was cold lightning buzzing under his skin he could only get out punching something else. It would scare him, if he was able to care more.

The mood shift was distinct enough for Sam and Tucker to comment over it, and Danny sighed heavily over lunch, smiling it off as he tried to muddle through worries that he relied on them too much to carry his emotional baggage. They had their own lives to worry about, and with all the ghost stuff he was enough of a problem on them already. Thinking too much about that distracted him during class, reminding him of yet more problems to work on that weren't going to get fixed, especially with study hall knocked out for the week.

Passing Jazz in the hallway just made Danny's stomach twist with bitterness and betrayal, and he responded to any questions about his 'session' with Ms. Spectra with cold distance. Patient confidentiality, shouldn't she know better? She didn't seem to have any idea what he was talking about when he referred to 'researching' with Ms. Spectra but by the point she started talking about 'just trying to help' Danny was so mad he couldn't see straight. He didn't even feel bad stalking off on her and ignoring the way she called after him. 

It did, however, get him a bit too much attention at dinner, and by the time Danny was able to finally get some space to himself he was ready to scream himself empty, _wishing_ there was a ghost problem nearby he could take all this out on. 

After a much too long moment of seriously debating how much pillow he could punch before losing it to green radiation burns, Danny gave in to an earlier impulse and settled at the computer, typing out to the one person who _might_ get it.

_Vlad,_

_I don't know if this is the kind of question or concern you were opening up for me to talk about last time, but I'm at the end of my angry teenage rope and I need to talk to somebody who I'm not going to scare off screaming to the nearest set of white vans and jackets. Institutional or 'secret' governmental._

_Is it normal to be angry all the time once you've been half-ghosted? I know, I know, normal human puberty is a thing, but I can't help but feel like I've gotten so violent in my head lately and I don't really know what to do about it. I don't want it to be a problem that comes out at the wrong place and time, and it scares me to know how much damage I can do if it does._

_At the same time I don't know if I'm getting enough space to really handle it because Jazz has noticed and called in a school counselor who makes me feel lousy but I don't have any way to get her off prying into me or my family or my school life and I just. I can't talk about what I'm really going through because it's too much to get a stranger into and I didn't even want them in in the first place. But I can't keep pushing all this on my friends all the time because they don't have any more of a clue than I do and they do so much for me already unasked for and they're struggling with that much without complaining about it, even though I'm literally putting their lives at risk every time we go out and I know they're scared, too._

_I should be able to handle this but everyone's telling me I can't because I'm too young and not smart or strong enough and need help and I don't know._

_I just. I'm miserable._

_I'm sorry._

Danny stared at the words blinking on the screen for a while, breathing shakily and more than a little surprised by how raw and easy it was to just let everything spill out of him. He rubbed at his weirdly chilly face, pressing knuckles against watering eyes and trying to just. Breathe for a second. 

He sat in limbo for a while, wondering if he should even send the damn thing. After all, Vlad was part of the reason for this entire mess. At the same time, though, Masters was one of the only people who'd been mostly decent to him lately, and the _only_ other person on the _planet_ who actually knew what was up with being half-ghost in the long-term. After a few shed tears and a bit more waffling, Danny decided to tag on one last thing before biting the electronic bullet:

_I guess I just want to know: is this ever going to get better, or am I going to have to figure out how to cope?_

_Danny_

  


* * *

  


It wasn't until after the next school day that Danny heard back from Vlad. After another session with Ms. Spectra and a few failed ghost hunts, he was about ready to combust from frustration. But at least he had reading the return email to look forward to, right?

_Daniel,_

_I wish there were a better answer that I could give you, but part of it_ is _because of your nature as a half-ghost. It's very likely there's another, powerful ghost in the area that's making you feel territorial. If you would rather live mostly peacefully alongside them, it's something you'll have to learn to tamp down. Otherwise, you'll have to force them out of whatever area you've staked as yours._

Danny paused to consider that, frowning. There was a persistent blob-like ghost showing up over the past few days, but they didn't feel particularly powerful, shapeshifting aside. It was one of the reasons why failing to capture them so far was frustrating him so much, along with the taunts and digs and general ego-punching. Shaking his head, Danny returned to reading, sure he was going to be chewing over that later.

_I don't expect you to be satisfied with that response, particularly since you seem to be primarily concerned with what you can do now to protect yourself and yours in the long term. It's natural to be offset by your new temperament and impulses, especially when there's an unwanted and unwelcome presence putting them under spotlight._

_It's important for you to know that, despite these changes, you_ are _still_ you _beneath them. Even if they can have a temporarily detrimental effect on your perspective, they are unlikely to simply take over without your consent. The fact that you're able to recognize them as separate from your own desires speaks of a strong will: far from anything like you being incapable of handling yourself. As I see it, the best help you can receive is learning how to self-manage._

_I've developed several techniques over the years to keep centered despite the compulsions. If you are interested in practical instruction, we can arrange to meet within the Zone. Thanks to some respect and reputation I've built as Plasmius, I have quite a few areas under my influence, and I can assure you of our safety while we practice._

_Let me know what you decide, and I can either make arrangements for in-person practice or write as comprehensive a guide as I can to give you._

_Sincerely,_

_Vlad_

That… That was a really tempting offer. Danny thought that maybe that could work out. He'd been able to get into the Ghost Zone before when his parents weren't in the lab, so why not? It wasn't like he couldn't come back while invisible to escape notice. It seemed more and more lately that keeping in touch with Vlad might have been the right choice. 

With that cautiously optimistic thought in mind, Danny sent off another email agreeing to the offer, and thanking Vlad for listening to him. Funny how this seemed to be helping a lot more than two stilted and stressful sessions with a professional counselor. Maybe it was because he could be a lot more honest with Vlad?

Once he turned off his computer for the night, Danny got ready to crawl into bed and hopefully go unconscious once head hit pillow. It might have worked out, if it weren't for the fact that once things quieted down, there was no blocking the eerie noises he knew were coming from the lab. Sounded like a late work night for his parents, forcing Danny to stuff his head under the pillow and restlessly wait for morning.


	8. Chapter 7: Negotiations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Plasmius talks some risky business and Vlad evades a moral epiphany.

Making arrangements for his upcoming protégé had Plasmius in a fantastically good mood. It felt so much like real progress — another move forward in his chess game with life. 

Thinking back on that promise the little badger "coerced" out of him not to hurt the older Fentons still made Vlad scoff, but there was a certain delicious irony to being indirect with his harm. The email he received, while surprisingly raw and heart-wrenching, was a golden opportunity of vulnerability Vlad was all too ready to capitalize on. He was able to wait twenty years for a bit of humiliation — he could handle a little more delay to reap the benefits of swaying their own son's loyalties by being a competent confidante. 

Nothing brought people together like working toward a common goal, especially while one was desperate for the other's expertise, and few things garnered more gratitude than fostering a sense of empowerment and belonging. The closer he brought Daniel into the fold, the sooner Vlad could finally have his completed vengeance. He could build his influence, time his words, carefully press his points until Daniel eventually saw reason and turned his back on _them._

Just as Jack and Maddie robbed him of his health, humanity, and security, he would take from them their legacy.

But, cart before horse, eggs in the basket, the first and most prudent course of action was securing the safety necessary to tutor the young man. With that objective in mind, Plasmius set out to negotiate some solid estate closer to the Fenton portal, ideally outside of Walker's fluctuating district boundaries. 

He drifted down to the lair of one of his more accomplished associates, careful to avoid brushing his cape against the abundant spectral foliage. As per their previously established conditions, Plasmius unbound a few of the superficial restraints he usually placed on his own power, allowing his presence to be announced. Unlike most ghosts, Plasmius had no need to hide from the hunter. He was far more useful as patron than prey.

It didn't take much time following that for Plasmius to catch the familiar and deliberate whirr of his associate weaving through the brush, sleek metal flashing into view. Plasmius wasn't entirely sure what manner of death or manifestation was necessary to bring a creature such as Skulker into existence, and they were still a bit early in their association to diplomatically ask. Well, the business arrangement was solid, and that was as far as Vlad was looking for the moment.

"Plasmius. What brings you here?" Skulker's voice was tinted with surprise — it wasn't often that Plasmius visited the other ghost's domain, and in the past it was usually with promise of something especially intriguing and beneficial for the both of them. It was almost a pity to break that trend.

"Hello, Skulker. I'm afraid that our usual business arrangement isn't what brought me here today. I'm sure that by now you're well aware of the presence of another half-ghost like myself?" It was no large secret among the denizens of the Ghost Zone that Vlad Masters and Plasmius were the same person. Granted, there were only a few who really knew, but it wasn't something he particularly tried to hide on this side of the portals, either.

"Yes, the ghost-child, Phantom. What about him?" Skulker's words were carefully measured, cautious. Plasmius could just about hear the gears spinning in that metallic head of Skulker's as he tried to piece together what a powerful half-ghost like Plasmius would want with a teenage boy like Danny.

Plasmius clasped his hands behind his back, keeping his face carefully neutral so as not to upset his business associate. "I'm afraid I must ask you, at least for the time being, to avoid hunting him." Vlad readied himself for an explosion of outrage, possible threats, or anything that would require him to defend himself or else remind Skulker who he was dealing with.

Much to Plasmius' surprise, Skulker did none of those things. His expression turned dour, yes, but there was no hint of physical aggression. "What are you planning with him?" Plasmius had to admit, Skulker was far more perceptive than he sometimes let on. He had to be, if he wanted to continue hunting other ghosts as prey.

"Believe it or not, I'm taking him on as a student, at least for the time being. His parents are ghost-hunters, the very same ones who caused me to be what I am today. History has repeated itself, and with their own son, no less. If I can convince him to leave his parents—"

"This is about your vengeance scheme, isn't it?" Plasmius had a hard time reading Skulker's expression as he interrupted. "Why should I play any part in it, even if that part is to stand on the sidelines?"

Plasmius' face broke out into a practiced, charming smile. "Why, what great hunter goes after quarry that hasn't fully developed? Wouldn't he provide a much more interesting challenge after a bit of training with me?" There was something that twisted uncomfortably in Vlad's stomach at those words, but he pushed it aside. This wasn't the time to be getting sentimental.

The phrasing managed to intrigue Skulker, at any rate. Plasmius took pause to watch the hunter weigh his pride from a different angle. “Interesting point,” the ghost finally conceded, and whatever fleeting ethical qualms were troubling Vlad gave way to satisfaction.

“My standard wares, as you know.”

“I’m not sure it’s exactly standard to bargain for priming prey by proxy, but you seem to enjoy the dangerous games, Plasmius.” Skulker’s smile was definitely on the grim side. “How long do you think you can manage profiting the hunter with one hand and the hunted with the other?”

An uncomfortable question, but Vlad’s reply was smooth enough: “It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve played gamekeeper, and I’m sure you can see the value in conservation.”

“I can,” Skulker stated, musing through a steady gaze, which Plasmius returned unflinching. It was an effort not to press for a quick commitment, but business was always in part a waiting game. Plasmius’ patience was eventually rewarded with a curt nod. “Very well — train the whelp. I didn’t get where I am today being hasty.”

Plasmius indulged a grin, baring an acceptable but pointed amount of fang. “And neither did I, which works out for the both of us.”

Plasmius occupied the next while rounding out local locations for the training, spot-checking how Skulker’s technical upgrades were integrating, and some final idle touching on the longstanding investigations for which he primarily recruited Skulker. Vlad’s independent research turned up more than a few interesting artifacts, and given the flow and flux of the ectoplasmic climate, consistent and quality Zonal mapping was a valuable commodity. Collector to collector, Skulker knew how to talk shop.

Plasmius departed with an abundance of information, further buoyed by the achievement of a successful negotiation. It was only in the later evening, when Vlad was back in the comfort and quiet of his own study, tumbler in hand and eyes on the fireplace, that the brief doubts managed to crop up again. That twisting feeling resurfaced, and Vlad took a drink of his cognac to try and drown it out. Danny was reaching out to him for help, that was a good thing — it meant his plan was working. So why did he feel like such a hypocrite? There was no reason to. He only told Skulker what he needed to hear.

Before he could mull too much on the source of his discomfort, his cell phone alerted him to a new email. A quick check at the screen revealed it was from none other than the subject of his thoughts.

  


_Vlad,_

_Practical question: what are the tells that a powerful ghost is nearby? Especially if they’re evading ghost sense._

_I want to get to the bottom of my little ‘territory’ problem._

_Danny_

  


Saved by the boy. Vlad settled in, the uncomfortable, nagging sense of hypocrisy melting away at the oddly satisfying chance to talk to Daniel and assist him with his little issues. This would take some time to explain, so he had ample excuse to divert his attention for a while. All the better for his peace of mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you can tell, we're not giving up the ghosts yet. Not even close.


End file.
